Shiv misses cut by two shots at British Open

Hoylake, England, July 22 (UNI) In his maiden British Open appearance, Shiv Kapur developed a cold putter and his driving also left a lot to be desired as he missed the cut by two shots after carding a one-over 73 in the second round of the 70,28640 dollar major.

''I just played badly. I hit the ball terribly, I wasn't driving it well and I wasn't comfortable with the driver and hit many wayward shots. I don't deserve to make the cut,'' a dejected Shiv said after bowing out of the prestigious event.

The only Indian to have qualified for the 135th edition of the major dropped out of contention with a two-day total of one-over 145 after firing three birdies against four bogeys.

With a late afternoon tee time where strong winds prevailed over the Hoylake links, the 24-year-old agonisingly missed putts that he normally would have converted.

''At the start of the day I was even par for the round and I thought the halfway cut would be that or one-under. Every player on the bubble would think of the cut and obviously I was. Playing in the afternoon was also a few shots harder but that's what you get when you're a qualifier. If you're top-10 in the world, you get the best draws,'' he said about the conditions on the course.

Shiv later described his careless miss on the sixth hole as the turning point of the day and said the bogey probably cost him the cut. The Indian said he was ''brain dead'' when he missed the one foot putt.

He also dropped shots on the ninth, 14th and 15th, which he failed to save par from four feet. Shiv tried to arrest the slide by firing three birdies on the 10th, 16th and 18th, whish could have been an eagle but fell a few inches wide.

''I missed a putt by a foot on the sixth hole which probably cost me the cut. I tried to hit it too firm. I don't know what happened.

You can't do those things in major championships. It's the worst feeling in the world,'' he said.

''I blew my chances with those bogeys at 14 and 15. I just left myself too big a hole. I didn't have a chance on 14 but I should have saved par on 15,'' he added.

Shiv, who is presently ranked 15th on the UBS Order of Merit, was, however, optimistic about a future appearance in the next edtion and felt he had the game to play in many more majors.

''It was a good experience and I enjoyed it. I know I have the game that I shouldn't be sitting out this weekend and that's disappointing. My game feels good. There were a lot of positives.

You always want to play with the best in the world and I don't think I'm too far off,'' he said.

''Obviously, I'm disappointed but next time around I'll learn from my mistakes,'' Shiv added, promising a better show next time around.

At the top, Tiger Woods shot a seven-under 65 -- studded with six birdies -- to be the sole leader with a two-day total of 12-under 132 . The American was a shot clear of compatriot Ernie Els, who also fired a 65 in the second round.

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